Blackeye Pea Salsa

I don't necessarily think of myself as superstitious, yet, given my health situation, these days I'll try almost anything to hedge my bets against the universe. I'd heard for quite a few years (forgive me Southerners, I'm from the Midwest) that eating blackeye(d) peas on New Year's Day is thought to bring luck and prosperity in the new year. This year I went all out on the "lucky" foods with our family's traditional pork roast, kielbasa, and sauerkraut meal accompanied by this blackeye pea salsa for snacking. 

This salsa is delicious, nutritious, easy to make, and good for almost any occasion. (Super Bowl Sunday I'm looking at you.) It's widely open to interpretation; in the summertime I'd add fresh corn, cucumbers, and/or tomatoes. You could use hotter chiles, or, omit them if heat isn't your thing. If you feel lucky enough, you could use black beans instead of blackeye peas. Black olives? Diced red onion? Avocado? Sure, why not. 

Your choice of dippers are wide ranging as well. We went with some Tostitos Fajita Scoops,  the usual crudite veggies would be great; bell pepper, cucumber, and/or celery sticks. Pita chips or crackers, etc, etc. 

Hopefully this salsa brings you some good luck, or at least a satisfied stomach, enjoy! 

Makes about 3 cups. 

You'll need:

2 cans Blackeye Peas, drained and rinsed
1 bell pepper, color of your choice, cored and seeded, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced (I find peeling celery makes it more tender and tasty.) 
3 scallions, finely diced
1-2 jalapenos, or hot pepper of your liking, finely diced (remove the inner membranes and seeds if you want less heat.) 
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of 1 to 2 limes, depending on how juicy they are. (I had one lime that yielded almost 3 Tbsp. juice so I used only one.) 
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Pinch sugar
1 tsp. salt (I use Kosher) 
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Put diced bell pepper, celery, scallions, jalapeno, cilantro, ground cumin, pinch of sugar, salt, and black pepper in a medium-sized bowl, add blackeye peas and lime juice, mix well to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. 

Cover, and chill at least one hour to let the flavors hold a meet-and-greet. Serve with your choice of dippers. Enjoy! 

Stored in a covered container, this salsa can be held up to 2 days in the refrigerator.